Kuan Yin is revered in Buddhism as the compassionate Savioress, the Bodhisattva of Mercy. Beloved as a mother figure and divine mediatrix who is close to the daily affairs of her devotees, Kuan Yin’s role as Buddhist Madonna has been compared to that of Mary, the mother of Jesus, in the West. Throughout the Far East, devotees seek her guidance and succor in every area of life. Altars dedicated to Kuan Yin can be found in temples, homes and wayside grottoes.

The name Kuan Shih Yin, as she is often called, means “the one who regards, looks, or hears the sounds of the world.” According to legend, Kuan Yin was about to enter heaven but paused on the threshold as the cries of the world reached her ears.

Kuan Yin is revered as protectress of women, sailors, merchants, craftsmen, those under criminal prosecution and those desiring progeny. There is an implicit trust in Kuan Yin’s saving grace and healing powers. Many believe that even the simple recitation of her name will bring her instantly to the scene.

The Bodhisattva Vow

For centuries, Kuan Yin has epitomized the great ideal of Mahayana Buddhism in her role as bodhisattva—literally, “a being of bodhi or enlightenment.” Destined to become a Buddha but foregoing the bliss of nirvana with a vow to save all children of God, Kuan Yin has taken the bodhisattva vow to work with the evolutions of this planet and this solar system to show them the way of the teachings of the ascended masters.

Kuan Yin was worshiped in China before the advent of Buddhism, and thereafter she was adopted by Buddhists as an incarnation of Avalokitesvara (Padmapani). Devotees invoke the bodhisattva’s power and merciful intercession with the mantra, Om Mani Padme Hum –“Hail to the jewel in the lotus!” or, as it has also been interpreted, “Hail to Avalokitesvara who is the jewel in the heart of the lotus of the devotee’s heart.”

Ensouler of Mercy, Compassion and Forgiveness

The Bodhisattva Kuan Yin is known as the Goddess of Mercy because she ensouls the God-qualities of mercy, compassion and forgiveness. She serves on the Karmic Board as the representative of the seventh ray (violet ray). She also held the office of Chohan of the Seventh Ray for two thousand years until Saint Germain assumed that office in the late 1700’s.

Kuan Yin ascended thousands of years ago and has taken the vow of the bodhisattva to serve planet Earth until all her evolutions are free. From her etheric retreat, the Temple of Mercy, over Peking (Beijing), China, she ministers to the souls of humanity, teaching them to balance their karma and fulfill their divine plan through loving service to life and application of the violet flame.

Kuan Yin’s flame is the color of orchids, the pink of divine love tempering the blue of the will of God. Her flower is a pink and violet lotus. The pink center is as the mercy flame, becoming deeper and deeper violet to the periphery.